


The Week Long War of Anthony Bridgerton

by ayeka3b



Category: Bridgerton (TV), Bridgerton Series - Julia Quinn
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-18
Updated: 2021-02-20
Packaged: 2021-03-14 07:35:51
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 2,756
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29539017
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ayeka3b/pseuds/ayeka3b
Summary: Modern AU where Anthony escalates a rather nice war between him and his wife over certain bits of clothing he's like to see on her.
Relationships: Anthony Bridgerton/Kate Sheffield
Comments: 4
Kudos: 83





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> This is a stand alone but is technically a companion to my The Marriage of Anthony Bridgerton Story, but you do NOT need to read that to understand this. I just have several later chapters written in that one but am blocked on getting there so thought I would post this section as it sits nicely on its own.

Saturday evening and Anthony was not having a good week. He was losing the war with Kate by inches, and, while it had led to some rather nice interludes, even he had to admit that he wasn’t triumphing at the moment.

Only a week early had seen a rather mind-blowing Saturday night and lazy Sunday filled with having his wife in all manner of places around the apartment and balcony (that greenhouse provide more cover than one would have thought) and Anthony was feeling rather cocky. Afterall, he had maneuvered the whole thing to start with.  
An errant comment about wanting Kate in sky high heels and her absolute denial (given her hatred of them) led to a particularly brilliant plan if he said so himself.   
Purposely falling behind in Scrabble while collecting the letters he needed while off handedly proposing a bet before playing on Kate’s competitive side had led to her not only in the heels, but a corset, garters and stockings that him and him alone knew were underneath her dress for their entire night out.

She had not been happy, but it had been worth it. Aphrodite herself could not have appealed to him more when he finally got her out of that dress, and she had walked in front of him, stripped them off as he asked. Kate may be shy in the bedroom but appealing to her need to win always made for a good night (or afternoon, morning, weekend, grope a closet, really whatever was at hand).  
She had looked down at him, having divested herself of the small amount of clothing she had on, only the heels remaining.  
She was gorgeous.  
She was a goddess.  
She was pissed.  
“I will make you pay for this, Anthony,” she had said, but he had assumed that the sentiment was lost in the rather nice time that followed. 

But he had to push it.


	2. Monday

**Monday**

Anthony had what, at the time, seemed like a truly brilliant idea. He had flowers delivered to Kate every Monday morning (the fact she had never received any before only cemented in his mind that the previous guys in her life were worthless).

Usually, it was just the flowers, but he added what he thought to be a rather splendid sentiment on his personal stationary.

_You now have a charge account at La Perla._

_Use it._ (underlined twice)

_-A_

It wasn’t his fault. She had scrambled his brain with her wardrobe(or lack thereof) on Saturday night.

She always looked gorgeous, but the corset and the garters, dear lord, the garters. He just wanted her to have nice under garments, preferably ones that she let him take her out of. He just wanted to see her in them again.

But, if he was truly honest, he wanted to win some more and that required some argument, which he assumed he would get given that Kate worked just down the hall from him.

Instead, he got a note back on the special stationary that he had printed for her when the world had found out about their marriage.

 _In your dreams._ (underlined three times).

_-K_

He pondered how to respond this and turned the card over to see a small addition.

_By the way, I’m wearing the garter belt right now._

What was he supposed to do with that?!

Was she planning something?

He certainly couldn’t work with that image in his head.

Maybe it wasn’t true. Probably not in fact. She was just taunting him, that was all. He would find out this evening, anyway.

He got up to retrieve a cup of coffee and noticed that Kate was in a meeting in one of the glass conference rooms between his office and the break room. She was seated at the back on her own and noticed Anthony’s gaze.

She smirked and crossed her legs, causing her skirt to ride up just a bit too high for a moment and he caught site of the ribbons that attached to her stockings. She quickly readjusted her skirt before anyone could notice but he had seen.

He was frozen. This woman did things to him that no other had managed, aggravated him to no end, pushed him to distraction…and he found himself wanting more.

“Mr. Bridgerton,” someone called form behind him, breaking him out of the growing fantasy he was constructing of snapping those garters as her legs were wrapped around him.

He conversed with the associate, only half listening as a plan formed in his mind.

He got back to his office and made a call, requesting immediate delivery.

Then, he sent a note.

_Always._

_-A_

On the back he wrote

_Lunch?_

_Room 314_

He included a room key for the hotel down the street.

His afternoon went much better, but it was draw with no winners declared.

_This author has it on good account, dear reader, that Lord Bridgerton has flowers delivered to his wife every Monday. I have been able to find no other reason than that rarest of things, a deep infatuation with one’s wife. Pity we can find no more scandal, but this author does so enjoy a love match… -LadyWhisteldown.com_


	3. Tuesday

**Tuesday**

On Tuesday, he knew he should back down and accept the drawn, but he couldn’t. He was too primed to want to win.

He sent another note.

_You have a charge account at Christian Louboutin._

_Use it._ (underlined once, he didn’t want to seem overeager).

_-A_

He knew he was in trouble the moment he got back the note.

_Of Course._

_-K_

Kate didn’t acquiesce that easily, not in things like this at least.

That could mean only one thing.

She was planning something. And Anthony didn’t like that at all, not one bit.

But he was stuck in meetings that morning and couldn’t make it down to her office to try to ferret out her plan so it was with great surprise that he received an alert on his phone around noon while in a lunch meeting.

He had programmed the alerts for any mention of her shortly after their marriage to help keep track of the gossip rages, specifically that infuriating Whisteldown woman who seemed to know everything about his family, sometimes even before he did.

He was rewarded with pictures of Kate very publicly trying on shoes in the Louboutin showroom, each one higher than the last.

This woman was trying to kill him.

He realized the room was silent and looked up to see everyone staring at him. “

Anthony?” his head of marketing inquired.

“Uhhh?” was the only response he could make.

“Well, what do you think?” was the reply he received, but he noticed his brother Colin, at this meeting only because it directly affected his travel blog giving him a grin as he brandished his own phone which had most likely seen the same update Anthony had received.

“Brother, are you doing all right?” Colin asked him in the most insincere tone imaginable.

Anthony cleared his throat, “yes, sorry, important,” he grasped for something to say, “business for later.”

Colin let out a howl causing the table to turn and regard him with equal amounts interest and confusion.

Anthony cleared his throat again, “can you repeat that for me?” before continuing with the meeting. He was grateful that Colin had made plans with Penelope for right after or he would have had to deal with worse teasing.

He went back to his office to discover a bag on his desk.

His secretary called out, “Mrs. Bridgerton dropped that off for you.”

“Thank you,” he said automatically closing the door and approached it with caution. Kate wouldn’t put anything in there to hurt him, he reassured himself, at least not too badly.

He opened the bag to see a box from Christian Louboutin inside and smiled.

Kate may enjoy vexing him, but she enjoyed the other night just as much as him. Maybe she wouldn’t say it outright, but this box…

He opened it to find flats.

The flattest flats he had ever seen.

And a note.

_I used the account as you asked._

_Make sure to put these in my office so I can wear them tonight._

_-K_

That woman.

He had to find a way to come out victorious, but there was the dinner for Lord Haverford tonight and they had to go.

She came by to collect the flats right before they were set to leave with Colin at the end of the workday(he pettily refused to take them to her).

“Enjoy your shopping, dear sister-in-law?” Colin smirked.

“Immensely,” she said, “in fact, I’m here to grab my shoes.”

Anthony glowered as his wife and brother chatted chummily on the way to the restaurant. He tried to think of a way to sprit her home, but she thwarted him at every opportunity.

When they finally did leave, as the restaurant closed(he knew she didn’t care that much about international law to discuss it for hours with Haverford), Kate headed for the bath with the door firmly closed before immediately retiring to bed.

He conceded this round but was determined to make up ground on Wednesday.

_Lord Birdgerton seemed rather annoyed at the dinner for Lord Haverford last night, especially when anyone tried to approach Lady Bridgerton. He seemed to try to leave several times, but his wife was enjoying herself so much that she was there until the restaurant closed. -Lady Whistledown.com_


	4. Wednesday

**Wednesday**

Today he would turn the tide, he decided.

Today he would win.

He had 5 inch heels delivered to Kate’s office with a note.

 _You will wears these tonight._ (Underlined twice-he was eager).

_-A_

And on the back:

_I mean it Kate._

He didn’t wait long for a response.

_You wish._

_-K_

Oh yes he did, very much.

He expected this, but he also had a plan. A plan that involved a certain tie that he had found a delightful use with some extracurricular activities with Kate a week before.

She had protested when he suggested it, but when he had asked if she was really protesting or felt the need to do so, she blushed, agreeing to let him loop her hand with a loose knot that she could easily break.

He had made her scream so loud he was worried about the neighbors complaining. He had felt rather proud of himself.

They had a meeting that day with a large contingent of staff. Kate sat in the back as a junior member while he was up, near the front. He had planned it perfectly, having the envelop delivered while he was at the front, not talking directly but providing support to the presenter.

He saw when the intern entered and handed the envelope to Kate and her confusion. She opened it, saw the tie tucked inside and blushed before looking up to see his smile. Her blush turned to obvious annoyance, but he sent the text he had queued up in his phone.

_Read the card._

Her phone buzzed and she looked down at it. He could tell that she was trying to decide between being stubborn and intrigued. She pulled the note out, and he was suddenly grateful that she had a seat in the back away from others at this moment.

_You will wear this tonight._

_And maybe the one around my neck as well._

_-A_

She looked up and he tugged at the one around his neck. It was all he could do from laughing out loud as she turned a deep shade of crimson.

She avoided his eyes the rest of the meeting and shot out of there at the end.

He sauntered down to her office as she was shoving the envelope in her desk.

“Something wrong Sheffield,” he felt like taunting.

She took a breath before looking up at him, “Nope.”

“Glad to hear it,” his eyes obviously grazed up and down her body before moving closer to her causing her to gulp. Anthony reveled in what he could to do her just as much as did for him. “Because I want you in good health for this evening.”

“Uh,” she stuttered, “we have something tonight,” she trailed off.

“Oh, yes we do,” and he turned to walk away.

“Why the one around your neck?” Kate squeaked out and Anthony smiled. She was always so curious. This was too much fun.

He turned to offer a final parting shot and decided he had to get even closer than before. He backed her up against the desk before leaning into her ear, “One for your hands, one for your eyes,” he tugged at her earlobe with his teeth, “completely at my mercy,” and, without another word, he turned and walked out.

When the end of the day came, they rode down in the elevator just the two of them.

As soon as the doors closed, he leaned in and gave her a devastating kiss(he knew it was devastating because she had told him that was how he kissed when they started, she was better for his ego than all of the women before her combined).

“You know,” she said, pulling back, “sometimes I hate you.”

He smiled, “but not tonight.”

She sighed, “no, not tonight.”

She screamed even louder than before. The neighbors didn’t complain but it gave him something to work toward.

He claimed victory that night.

_Lord and Lady Bridgerton were noticeably absent from all of the best events of the ton last night. As they have been married for nearly 5 months, this author can only speculate that they were ensconced in newlywedded bliss. -LadyWhistledown.com_


	5. Thursday

**Thursday**

Looking back, Anthony could admit that Thursday was when things fell apart for him.

He had decided to push it again.

He had some of her favorite chocolates delivered with a rather indecent pair of panties and bra nestled inside.

Feeling rather in control, he included a note.

 _You’ll wear these tonight._ (He did not feel the need to underline anything as he had the upper hand.)

_-A_

It wasn’t original prose, but it had worked the day before.

He assumed a reply would be instantaneously. Instead, she made him wait as he grew more and more antsy. The markets were rather volatile that day so he wasn’t able to go see her in person, but, finally, almost at the end of the day, he found on his desk the invite to the charity event at the London aquarium they were set to attend that evening with a note.

_I’ll wear them tomorrow._

_-K_

This was not good. Kate didn't just agree to things like that.

She was planning something and it was going to bite Anthony, but he didn’t know how to stop it.

She had conference calls with the US so got ready at the office before they headed to the event. She was open to letting him feel her up in the car (he felt like a teenager) so he didn’t think all was lost, but she was in high demand at the party, most of London society still intrigued by the relatively new Mrs. Bridgerton.

Kate hated these events but was always happy to help out a charity and gamely took part in helping with the auction, making it nearly impossible to get her alone. He could usually find an unused storage closet for a quick interlude at these things, but the closet he got this evening was a dark corner by the angler fish to shameless grope her.

But, by the time they got home, Kate was falling asleep on her feet(and it didn’t look staged). He took some comfort in the fact that their extremely late night(into early morning) the day before was contributing to that.

Anthony, despite what his reputation may be, was nothing if not a gentlemen and helped her out of her dress (only mildly gawking) and into bed where she fell fast asleep.

He knew he couldn’t claim victory, but Kate naturally curled around him in her sleep that night so all was not lost.

_The ton continues its infatuation with Lady Bridgerton, who is being called a “breath of fresh air” by more than one, her American sensibility bringing to mind the US debutants who first conquered British shores over 100 years ago. Lord Bridgerton, however, seems less than taken with that very same society at the moment, given the rather annoyed expression that did not leave his face once last night. -LadyWhistledown.com_


End file.
